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Their combined attempts helped create a safer street and neighborhood, but were only band-aids, said Daniel Herrin, president of the Falcon Point Homeowners Association. The 539-house subdivision is located in both Fort Bend and Harris counties.

The real solution, he said, is to extend Kingsland Boulevard in Harris County from Katy-Fort Bend Road to the Grand Parkway. After several years of waiting, construction on that project has started.

"As an HOA, we have spent quite a bit of time and money working with the issues of drivers in our neighborhood," said Herrin, who said about 6 percent of homeowners' assessments fund the deputy patrols. "We are all very excited about the extension and, hopefully, most of the traffic will move to the new road."

The .64-mile road is expected to be completed by July, he said, and will give motorists additional access to Katy Mills mall.

Traffic is expected to flow as usual in the area and should not be affected by the work, Schilhab said.

"No significant delays are anticipated during construction," he said

Project overdue

The project has been long overdue, said
A.D. Muller
, a board member of the Falcon Point Homeowners Association, adding that he and other homeowners have been waiting 10 years for Kingsland to be extended.

"Before (Katy Mills mall) was built, we formed a neighborhood group to discuss the concerns of traffic and crime problems that may happen in the area," Muller said. "The mall developers made promises that Kingsland would be the No. 1 issue that they would resolve."

In the meantime, motorists found another way to the mall. From the Grand Parkway, drivers exit Bay Hill Drive and then take Falcon Point Drive to Katy Mills mall.

"We were getting literally thousands of cars down Falcon Point (Drive)," Muller said.

Since contract deputies have been patrolling the area, the Fort Bend County Sheriff's office has provided the association with a monthly citation report. Deputies have sometimes issued more than 100 speeding tickets on a monthly basis, Muller said.

"One teenager got three tickets in a month," Muller said. "Kingsland will keep the traffic out of our neighborhood."

Benefit for taxpayers

Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner
Steve Radack
said the project has taken awhile because of the wait for available funding and land.

After negotiations with landowners between Grand Parkway and Katy-Fort Bend Road, Radack said the county was able to move forward with the project.

The Kingsland extension is a joint effort between the county, developers and landowners, and will cost $8 million, Radack said. Harris County's portion of the project is $1.33 million, he said, while developers and landowners are funding the remainder.

The costs include road construction, drainage improvements, engineering and the value of land donated by landowners. Also included are a previously-constructed drainage channel and a portion of Kingsland west of the Grand Parkway previously built by a developer.

"This project has taken a long, long time, but it's an $8 million project that's costing the taxpayers $1.3 million," Radack said. "It's a tremendous benefit to the taxpayers of Harris County."

The road is also expected to increase economic development in west Harris County, he said.

Road to relieve congestion

Drivers in the area say the Kingsland extension will provide much-needed relief to a heavily congested area.

"This little part of Kingsland that needs to be completed is so important," said Jane Smith, a Katy-area resident. "During the rush hours, it would take a lot of traffic off the Grand Parkway near I-10 for those needing to get to Katy on the south side."

In addition, the city of Katy is working with Fort Bend County to extend Kingsland Boulevard from Medical Center Drive near Katy Mills mall to the other side of Kingsland in WoodCreek Reserve near FM 1463.